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Mind Your Food
Real Age

Ask yourself, "Is my body requesting food or is my mind just craving it?"

Here's how you can tell the difference, says Jill Fleming, a registered dietitian and author of Thin People Don't Clean Their Plates.

How to Fight Cravings
Fleming recommends one of the classic strategies: carrying a food journal and writing down everything you eat and why you eat it. You'll start to notice the times you're eating when you're not really hungry. Once you've identified your emotional triggers, find alternative activities to eating. If anger sets off cravings, hit a punching bag instead. If boredom brings on hunger pangs, get busy -- call a friend or clean a closet. And if stress spurs a hankering for sweets, go for a short walk and get in shape.